Ghosts & Graves – play online for free
Ghosts & Graves is a clue puzzle where each grave number states exactly how many ghosts occupy neighbouring cells.
Cozy and Challenger modes use the same logic, with Challenger adding lives, time pressure and modifiers.
▶ Play for free nowHow to play
Haunt the garden
- Numbers on graves count the ghosts around them.
- Tap a cell to place or remove a ghost.
- Every clue must match exactly.
- Solve with fewer mistakes for more stars.
Practical strategy tips
- A zero clears every neighbouring candidate.
- Once a clue is fulfilled, mark its other neighbours safe.
- If the clue equals all remaining candidates, they are all ghosts.
- Compare overlapping clue areas to deduce their difference.
Strategy
Start with the row and column totals, which state how many ghosts belong in each line. Once a total is met, mark the remaining cells in that line as ground. If the total equals the number of candidates still open, every candidate must be a ghost. Each placed ghost also excludes all eight surrounding cells because ghosts cannot touch, even diagonally. Recheck both line totals after every deduction before committing another placement.
Every grave needs exactly one ghost in an orthogonally adjacent cell. Rotate its arrow only after the line totals and spacing rule have narrowed down the direction. Undo can reverse a mistaken placement or orientation, while hints can help at a dead end; their available quantity depends on configuration. Fewer errors produce more stars. Challenger combines three lives with time attack and modifiers, whereas Cozy provides ten lives without a clock.
Common mistakes
- Placing a ghost from one line total alone. Check the crossing total, spacing rule and every orthogonally adjacent grave as well.
- Pointing a grave toward a diagonal ghost. A grave can refer only to the cells directly above, right, below or left.
- Continuing to guess after an error. Undo the last action and recheck the affected row, column and grave neighbourhood.
Game modes
Cozy Campaign
Relaxed gameplay • 10 Lives (10x❤️) • Standard mode only • No time pressure • Perfect for learning!
Challenger Campaign
Challenge yourself! • 3 Lives (3x❤️) • All game modes • Time Attack levels • For experienced players!
Where the game comes from
Puzzles where a number states how many marked cells touch it go back to logic problems from the 1960s that ran on university mainframes, long before screens were available for them.
The decisive move is rarely the obvious one. Instead of reading numbers one at a time you compare two neighbours: whatever their regions share cancels out, and what remains is a statement about the few cells where they differ.
Frequently asked questions
What does a mistake cost?
Mistakes lower your stars for the level, and in the campaigns they cost lives: the relaxed variant grants you ten hearts, the challenger only three. Check every placement against the row and column totals and the adjacent graves before you commit.
Why does every level look different?
Three themes are available: Ghosts & Graves, Kings & Castles, and Pirates & Ships. With random theme selection enabled, the look changes between levels; the puzzle rules stay identical. Themes affect presentation, not the logical conditions.
How large is the campaign?
An introductory world contains ten levels. After it come 25 worlds with 28 levels each. Cozy gives you ten lives and no time pressure; Challenger uses three lives and enables time attack along with additional modifiers.
Why play Ghosts & Graves on FunPort?
- Pure deduction: every placement can be proven or disproven.
- Three rotating themes keep a journey of hundreds of levels varied.
- Fewer mistakes mean more stars: precision visibly pays.